Gemotions

The envelope, plain and unassuming, sat on the kitchen counter. Sarah had almost tossed it with the junk mail. Now, it was the only thing she could focus on. She ran her fingers across the embossed return address, her skin tingling. A coldness spread through her veins.

She opened the letter slowly, each movement deliberate, as if afraid to break something fragile. The words blurred before her eyes, but she forced herself to read them again and again. She felt weightless, adrift.

A high-pitched whine filled her ears. She stumbled backward, bumping against the kitchen table. The ordinary scene of her kitchen now appeared completely foreign, like she was viewing it through distorted glass.